Quitting Smoking May Be Harder If Mom Smoked During Pregnancy

Quitting smoking may be more difficult for individuals whose mothers smoked during pregnancy, according to animal research conducted by Duke University Medical Center researchers.

Prenatal exposure to nicotine is known to alter areas of the brain critical to learning, memory and reward. Scientists at the Duke Center for Nicotine and Smoking Cessation Research have discovered that these alterations may program the brain for relapse to nicotine addiction. Rodents exposed to nicotine before birth self administer more of the drug after periods of abstinence than those that had not been exposed.
The study suggests that pregnant women should quit smoking to avoid exposing their unborn children to nicotine, and that they should do so without the use of nicotine products such as patches or gums that also present a risk to the baby, the researchers said.
"Smoking during pregnancy can harm the baby in ways that extend far beyond preterm delivery or low birth weight," said lead study investigator Edward Levin, Ph.D., a professor of biological psychiatry. "It causes changes in the brain development of the baby that can last a lifetime."
Results of the study appear this week in the online issue of the journal Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior. The work was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and Philip Morris USA.
Levin's team exposed pregnant rats to nicotine. Once the offspring grew to adolescence, they were allowed to self administer nicotine as often as they wanted. To self administer the drug, the rats pressed a lever that caused a dose of nicotine to be delivered intravenously. Each push of the lever was roughly equivalent to a hit from a cigarette.
The researchers studied two groups of rats: those that had been exposed to nicotine prenatally and those that had not. Initially, both groups of rats consumed nicotine at the same rates -- about ten hits per session. After four weeks, the researchers forced the rats to go "cold turkey" for a week, during which they had no access to nicotine.
Once the scientists restored access to nicotine again, they witnessed a dramatic difference in the rates at which the two groups resumed the habit. The rats that had been exposed prenatally took nearly double the nicotine hits compared with those that had not.
While the rates of smoking in the United States are declining, approximately a quarter of Americans have mothers who smoked during pregnancy, Levin said. Previous studies have shown these individuals have a higher chance of sudden infant death syndrome, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, obesity and even of becoming a lifelong smoker themselves, Levin said.
"It is easy to quit smoking -- anyone can do it, for a brief time," Levin said. "But not taking it up again -- that is the part that has proven so difficult for most people, especially those who have been exposed to nicotine before birth."
Levin and his colleagues say that different smoking cessation approaches should be taken in individuals who have been exposed to nicotine prenatally. Whether or not a person has been exposed to nicotine while in the womb becomes another part of their medical profile that helps doctors tailor treatment to the specific needs of the patient, Levin said. Some other factors shown to influence a person's ability to quit include gender, age, state of mental health and genetics, he added.
Other researchers participating in the study were Susan Lawrence, Ann Petro, Kofi Horton, Frederic J. Seidler and Theodore A. Slotkin.

Should I Change My Diet During Pregnancy?

Good nutrition before you’re pregnant will mean a healthier you and baby. If you’re already eating a well-balanced, nutritious diet now few, if any, changes will be necessary during pregnancy. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, also referred to as the ACOG, recommends that pregnant women increase their pre-pregnancy servings of the four basic food groups to include the following:

At least four servings of fruits and vegetables. This is important for making sure you consume enough vitamins and minerals through food, in addition to any prenatal vitamins your health care provider has suggested during your pregnancy.
At least four servings of whole-grain or enriched bread and cereal to ensure you have enough energy during your pregnancy.
At least four or more serving of milk and dairy products (not including butter or margarine) for the calcium you need during pregnancy.
You’ll also need to consume at least three servings of meat, fish, poultry, chicken, eggs, nuts, dried beans, or peas to ensure an adequate level of protein in your diet.
A well-balanced diet during pregnant helps ensure that both you and your baby are healthy.

The only necessary recommended daily allowance or RDA that is difficult to achieve through diet is iron. In most cases, your physician will prescribe an iron supplement during pregnancy. Also, be sure to follow any additional diet or vitamin supplementations recommendations that your personal physician recommends during your pregnancy.

Meat and Meat Alternatives

5.5 ounce equivalents (or the amount of a food that has a similar nutrition value as 5.5 ounces of meat)

Count as 1 ounce equivalent: 1 ounce lean meat, fish, or poultry; 1 egg; 1 slice lunch meat; 1 tablespoon peanut butter; 1/4 cup cooked kidney, pinto, or garbanzo beans.

Fruit Group—2 cups
Count as 1 cup: 1 cup (8 ounces) 100% juice; 1 large banana or orange; 1 small apple; 1 cup canned fruit. Include one Vitamin C source such as an orange or orange juice every day.

Vegetable Group—2.5 cups
Count as 1 cup: 1 cup cooked vegetables; 2 cups raw leafy vegetables; 1 cup (8 ounces) 100% juice. Include one serving of a dark green leafy vegetable every day.
Grain Group—6 ounce equivalents (or the amount of a food that has a similar nutrition value to 6 ounces of a grain)
Count as 1 ounce equivalent: 1 slice 100% whole grain bread; 1 cup whole grain, ready-to-eat cereal; ½ cup cooked cereal, rice, or pasta, ½ “mini” bagel, 1 small tortilla, 6 inches in diameter; 1 pancake, 4½ inches in diameter.
Oils and Solid Fats—use sparingly
Common portions: 1 tablespoon corn, safflower, or cottonseed oil; 1 tablespoon margarine; 1 tablespoon mayonnaise; 1 ounce nuts; and 4 large olives.
Most cakes, pies, cookies, soft drinks, sugar, honey, candy, jams, jellies, gravies, butter, and sour cream have either an oil or solid fat and may be loaded with simple sugars. Eat them in moderation; save them to eat only if you need extra calories after eating the basic needed foods.

Recommended Servings

*Based on a 2000 calorie diet. Your needs may vary depending on age, sex, and activity level.
Dairy Group—3 cups per day; be sure to choose lower fat selections
Count as 1 cup: 1 cup (8 ounces) 1% or skim milk; 1 cup low-fat yogurt; 2 cups low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese; 1½ cups low-fat or fat-free ice cream; 1½ ounces of low fat hard cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, Swiss, or parmesan); 1/3 cup shredded cheese; 2 ounces processed cheese (American); 1 cup pudding (made with milk).

Guide to Good Eating During Pregnancy

• Eat a variety of foods.
• Choose foods with a lot of fiber—fruits, vegetables, dry beans, whole grain breads and cereals, and other whole grain products.
• Exercise in moderation on a regular basis (ask your doctor).
• Drink plenty of fluids (64 ounces per day or eight, 8-ounce glasses)
• Eat 3 to 5 meals and snacks per day.
• Pregnancy increases the need for calories and most nutrients. Starting with the second trimester, you need to increase your normal calorie level by 300 calories to provide the extra energy your body needs. Remember, this is not a lot of food. 300 calories is equal to a small snack, such as a half of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a glass of 1% milk.
• The amount of suggested weight gain depends upon your weight before pregnancy (ask your doctor).

Nutritional Needs of Pregnancy

Updated by: Jaime Foster, Extension Associate, Human Nutrition, February 2006

Pregnancy is the most nutritionally demanding time of a woman’s life. Your body needs enough nutrients every day to support the growth of your baby and the maintenance of your own body. All the nourishment this developing baby needs comes from you, either through the foods you eat or the supplements you take.
Pregnant women need more essential nutrients than other women. From the beginning of the second trimester until delivery, your body needs an additional 300 calories each day to support the growth of your baby. It is important to eat the right foods every day since tissues and organs develop during certain weeks of your pregnancy. Your own health depends on your diet, too. While your body is supplying the nutrients your baby needs, your body still needs the same nutrients as before you were pregnant.
MyPyramid helps you choose healthy foods to meet your needs. Increase your intake of nutrient-dense foods. Nutrient-dense foods are packed with more nutrients for the calories than other foods that are mostly calories with few other nutrients. Nutrients are also called vitamins and minerals. By following MyPyramid recommendations based on age, sex, and activity level while adding the additional 300 calories per day at the start of the second trimester, you can get the nourishment you need.
Protein is needed for the buildup of your muscles, uterus, breasts, blood supply, and baby’s tissues. Low protein intake is related to smaller-than-average weight babies who may have health problems. Pregnant women need around 60 grams of protein per day.
Folate is a vitamin that is required to build protein tissues. Low folate levels are linked to birth defects, such as spina bifida. These defects form early in pregnancy, often before women know they are pregnant. It is important to eat enough foods high in folate like broccoli, dark green vegetables, and oranges both before and during pregnancy. The dietary reference intake for folate is 400 milligrams per day.
Calcium is needed by your baby for strong bones. If calcium is not supplied by the mother’s diet, calcium is taken from the mother’s bones for the baby. The dietary reference intake for calcium is 1,000 milligrams per day or 1,300 milligrams per day for women under 18 years of age.
Low Zinc levels during pregnancy can cause long labor and small babies who may have health problems. The dietary reference intake for zinc is 11 milligrams per day or 12 milligrams per day for women under 18 years of age.
Iron deficiency is common in pregnant women. Both mother and baby need iron for their developing blood supplies. A developing baby also stores iron for use after birth. This increases the mother’s iron needs. It is practically impossible to get enough iron from food. Doctors usually recommend supplements. The dietary reference intake for iron is 27 milligrams per day for all pregnant women.
A good diet takes planning. Pregnant women should make sure to include:
Enough calories for adequate weight gain.
A variety of foods from each food group, with limited use of the oils and solid fats group.
Regular meals and snacks.
30 grams of dietary fiber every day.
8 or more cups of water each day.
Salt to taste.
No alcoholic beverages, including beer.
Prenatal vitamin once a day, if prescribed by your doctor.
No one can guarantee a baby will be born healthy and strong. However, these are steps mothers-to-be can take to make the best baby possible. Nothing offers greater benefits to mother and baby than good nutrition.

Coughs and Colds

Pregnancy can cause your mucous membranes to swell. This can make it more difficult to get rid of coughs, colds, etc. Prevention is key here. Eat well, and get plenty of rest and exercise. Also avoid people who are contagious if possible.

Suggestions:

• Well balanced diet
• Increase Vitamin C foods
• Eating garlic or onions can help with infections
• Zinc and Vitamin C supplements will help increase your resistance
• B vitamins help if you are under stress
• Use a humidifier
• Use Aconite 6X every two hours for 24 hours at the first sign of a cold
• Allium Cepa 6C three times daily for a streaming head cold
• Eucalyptus, lavender, lemon and tea tree: 2 drops pf each oil into a bowl of water, inhale steam for 10 minutes Do not use in conjunction with homeopathic remedies.

Backaches

Backaches can be particularly annoying. They can be caused by poor posture, inappropriate lifting techniques, lack of exercise, or the weight of the baby and the stretching ligaments.

Suggestions:
Utilize good posture
Use proper lifting techniques
Pelvic rocking
Massage
Sleep with pillows supporting your legs and back
Wear flat heeled shoes that offer good support
Heat (bath, shower, pad, sock)
Swimming
Don't move in a jerky fashion
Stretch daily
Herbal Liniments may help
St. John's Wort tincture, 15-25 drops in a glass of water every few hours as needed
For severe pain add 3-5 drops of Skullcap tincture to the above
Chiropractic help may be of use as well

First Baby - 18 Weeks

Leg Cramps

Cramps in your muscles are common during pregnancy. They may be caused by the weight you are carrying, circulation changes, or calcium deficiency.
Suggestions:
Regular exercise
Adequate calcium intake
When the cramp begins, bring your toes towards you, and massage the muscle
Dissolve four tablets of Magnesia Phosphorica 6X in a small glass of warm water

Women's Day or farce?

4 Mar 2006, 2312 hrs IST,Shobhaa De,TNN

Everyday's Women's Day. A woman has to make her own day, and do so with confidence and courage. To ear-mark one day of the year for the occasion is to insult women who do not possess calendars and have absolutely no idea that the rest of the world is 'celebrating' their gender.

There is no celebration in the lives of those women who have no access to education, to personal liberties and even to their own thoughts. Most of them are born as 'accidents'. Unwanted even by the woman in whose womb they've grown.

They are resented at birth, unsafe in their own homes. Their lives are valued at less than a price of a bicycle or a goat. Money? Forget it. They have to earn it through hard labour, carrying stones to build roads that women like you and me drive on in our fancy cars. But even that money does not belong to them. Nothing does.
Not even their name, which is changed when they marry strangers. Husbands, who are bought at a price by impatient fathers anxious to off-load their 'burdens'. Everything is 'given' to them and that includes the two stale rotis they eat.
source: http://www1.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1438227.cms

Constipation and Hemorrhoids

Constipation can become a problem in pregnancy due to hormonal changes affecting the digestive system. However, iron tablets can also lead to constipation as well as a lack of fiber in your diet. Hemorrhoids are varicose veins of the rectum which are associated with pregnancy. Preventing constipation is a good start to preventing hemorrhoids.

Suggestions for constipation:
Regular exercise, especially squatting
Plenty of fruits and vegetables in your diet
Drink plenty of fluids
Drink prune juice
Nux Vomica 6X three times daily
When you have to go..GO! Do not delay the urge to defecate.
Avoid straining your bowels (This will also help prevent hemorrhoids.)

Suggestions for Hemorrhoids:
Avoid straining
Apply baking soda wet or dry to take away the itch, even add some to your bath water
Hamamelis 30X
Witch hazel or lemon juice to reduce swelling or bleeding
Comfrey or Yellowdock Root ointment
Herbal sitz baths

Fainting and Dizziness

Fainting is common during pregnancy. the blood may pool in the lower body and the brain may become temporarily deprived of oxygen, causing fainting or dizziness.

Suggestions:

>> Avoid standing for long periods of time
>> While standing practice contracting and relaxing your leg and buttocks muscles to help blood return to your head
>> When resting lay on your side as opposed to your back
>> When sitting return to standing slowly
>> Don't get out of a hot bath too quickly
>> Keep cool in hot weather
>> If you feel faint, sit to avoid injury and place your head lower than your body, kneeling on all fours works too
>> Take a few drops of Bach Rescue Remedy as soon as your start to feel faint
>> Make sure you blood sugar isn't low, eat small protein rich snacks throughout the day
>> Shiatsu points Lung 9 (LU9) and Heart 7 (HT7) together, if done by someone else, or separately if alone, for 5-7 seconds, repeat three times, then do the same to the opposite arm

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Heartburn

Hormones released during pregnancy allow the softening of the sphincter between the esophagus and stomach. This lets stomach acids back up into the esophagus, causing a burning sensation. This may also occur in the latter months of pregnancy as your baby pushes all of your organs upward.

Suggestions:

• Eat smaller, more frequent meals
• Remain upright for an hour after eating, lying down can irritate the problem
• Eating yogurt or drinking milk can help
• Avoid spicy or greasy foods
• Try a tablespoon of honey in a glass of warm milk
• Mercurius Solubilis 6C three times daily

Nausea

This is also known as morning sickness, but can strike at anytime of the day. These symptoms of nausea and vomiting generally go away by the end of the first three months. Things that irritate the condition: low blood sugar, low blood pressure, hormonal changes, emotional ambivalence, deficiency of vitamin B6 and iron, or excessive amounts of grease or certain spices. Vomiting that is excessive needs medical attention.

Suggestions
Deep breathing may help, as well as relaxation exercises
A protein snack before bed will help low blood sugar in the morning
Get up slowly out of bed
Take a walk everyday
Anise, dried peach tree leaves, fennel seed, red raspberry or ginger teas
A teaspoon of cider vinegar in a cup of warm water
Infusion of ginger root
Smelling ground ginger
Increase iron rich foods in your diet
Ipecacuana 6X three times daily for 5 days
Nux Vomica 6X
Slippery Elm tablets, two before each meal
Aromatherapy: lavender, rose, or chamomile for a massage oil

Liz Lange on Easy Pregnancy Style

Feeling good and looking good go hand in hand, so you've got to love the wardrobe wisdom that comes from a mom who's been there, done that ‑- and built a company around it. We asked maternity-wear designer Liz Lange, a woman who certainly puts the "style" in stylish pregnancy, for some tips on pregnancy wear that works.

We all want to be fashionable and comfortable ‑- without spending a ton of money. What are your maternity wardrobe must-haves?
These days, every woman needs denim. It's perfect. It comes in so many washes and can be worn in so many ways. Get a great-fitting pair of jeans in a cut that you like. Darker jeans are the most versatile, as you can dress them up more. The same thing goes for T-shirts. They're a staple. Get one with short or long sleeves, in a neckline that you like to wear. Wear it alone or under a shirt. Try a button-front shirt in a stretch cotton, cut like ones in your husband's closet. Get a tunic ‑- they've moved from trend item to maternity basic. You can find cute ones that are embellished or plain. A great-fitting pair of black pants is a must, because you can dress them up or dress them down. Get a little ‑- or not so little ‑- black dress. It's all about versatility. And when it comes to seasonal stuff, you can't go without some kind of sweater. I like a black turtleneck. And a twin set is an incredible item. You can wear it as an underpinning with suits or with the cardigan. And you can wear the cardigan with sleeveless items or with nothing on under it. And of course, in the summer, a bathing suit and sundress.

Maternity Dresses for Hot Mamas-to-Be

It's the Murphy's Law of pregnancy:
Just when you can't imagine wearing anything but the grungiest of sweats and most comfy of slippers, a special event calls for getting all maternity-dressed up. Over the course of nine months, it's hard to avoid donning a maternity dress for one party or another. Take inspiration from the celebs proudly sporting their bumps red-carpet-side: There's no need to go the hausfrau muumuu route. If recent award seasons have shown anything, it's the glamour of the empire-waist maternity dress.

Since all eyes will be on your belly (and away from other trouble spots), you can be a bit more daring in your style choices ‑- and in showing off some of your other pregnancy, um, assets. We've rounded up some stylish maternity dresses to wear on any occasion when you need to dazzle ‑- weddings, work events, whatever.

The shelf life of these formal maternity dresses is pretty short, though, so shop smartly. For onetime events such as weddings, look for pieces that make you feel like the elegant expecting mom that you are. For less-formal occasions, choose dresses that you'll want to wear more than once and that you can mix and match with your shoes, blazers, jewelry and other accessories for a variety of looks.